Lotus Eletre review: High-performance electric SUV offers a thrilling drive

Even the most unexpected brands have jumped on the SUV bandwagon, some with little success. But Lotus’s take on an SUV – at the first attempt – is a sensational car. It ticks all the SUV boxes with decent space in the back, a good size boot and the popular high-up driving position. Visibility out is good, too.

Then it adds some Lotus spice on top of that with stunning performance, particularly from the 893bhp R version that’ll get from 0-62mph in a shade under three seconds. Even the £89,500 Eletre will do that in 4.5 seconds.

And yes, this is hardly a light car at over 2.5 tonnes and it’s tall, but the Eletre does its best to turn into corners sharply, grip hard and then catapult you out the other side with steering that gives you confidence, too – it’s addictive.

The quality inside this Chinese-built car is superb, with an excellent choice of materials and the style is spot on. We could do without some of the gold garnishing around the switchgear and on the steering wheel, though, while some of the controls are tricky to work out which does what. The tech is first class, though, and voice control works well – plus there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to use if you want.

There aren’t the family-friendly cubbies and features that many SUVs boast, but this is a first-class, hugely fast and fun, high-quality sporting SUV.

I enjoyed a week with a top-spec Eletre R using it daily on a combination of motorway runs and running daily errands with the family on board. But it’s on the local B-roads where I got to enjoy the car most, although its width isn’t ideal for narrow lanes.

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Independent rating: 9/10

Whichever of the three Eletre models you go for, they all use the same 112 kWh battery, with claimed ranges of 373 miles for the 595bhp Eletre and Eletre S, and the high-performance R claiming 304.

Our real-world range was some way short of that, especially on one of our longer motorway trips, but if you find a fast charger all Eletres will charge at speeds up to 350kW, when 20 minutes will give you a 10 to 80 per cent charge.

Being a Lotus, the Eletre is all about the drive though, where we fell in love with the pace and poise the car has – considering its weight and performance. The R model uses a two-speed automatic box rather than the usual single speed to extract the maximum performance, while there’s also four-wheel steering for added nimbleness (and it comes in handy when parking) on the top model, and all cars are dual-motor, four-wheel drive machines.

So you’ll be surprised by the nimbleness of this large car, while the ride for the most part is comfy. You can also change the car’s attitude with Tour, Range, Sport, Off-road (unlikely to be used much!), Track and Individual modes.

Given the sparse nature of Lotus interiors of old, the Eletre is an impressive first step into the world of luxury. The quality inside is superb with a lovely choice of materials – many of them sustainable – and plenty of space that’s heightened by the full-length panoramic roof.

You can choose from four- or five-seat options, with the latter giving you a usable 688-litres of space in the boot. As an SUV you can fold the rear seats down to get a total of 1,532 litres of room.

What you don’t get is loads of storage space inside. There are only two cup holders of strangely different sizes, and although there’s a wireless charging pad for your phone, use the car’s acceleration to the max and you might be picking your phone off the floor in the back – it can slide off.

We also thought some of the gold highlights around the cabin were a bit bling – Lotus has been more restrained in the past – while it was difficult to work out what some of the switchgear did; some of it is a bit too fiddly.

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The Eletre may be built in China, but it has a very British audio system made by KEF. It’s good, too, with Dolby Atmos and a nice, rich and detailed sound with plenty of power when you need it.

There are screens in front of the driver, a 15-inch touchscreen for entertainment with good usability and an additional screen in front of the passenger, too. Even rear-seat passengers get their own screen to play with.

There is a host of driver assistance features to keep you safe, too, including a deployable Lidar system that uses a sensor that rises up from the centre of the windscreen – you’re only likely to see it when you open the car and it pops up to say hello. Lotus says the car is ready for Level 4 autonomous driving, when it’s legally available, and you can believe it with the subtle cameras around the car’s body and the display showing you what’s around your car.

Lotus is playing in the big league now and the prices reflect that. The Eletre starts at £89,500 going up to £120,000 for the all-singing and fast-dancing Eletre R. However, the quality and style of the car reflects that – this is a real head turner that looks every inch like a premium rival to everything from BMW to Bentley.

Our test didn’t manage to get close to the claimed range figures – as so many EVs don’t – but we found the range of the R version manageable enough. As with any performance-orientated model, insurance is likely to be quite steep, though.

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The Eletre will charge at an ultra-fast charger at speeds of up to 350kW where it will take 20 minutes to go from 10 to 80 per cent charge

With a starting price of £89,500 the Eletre is definitely premium, but stacks up well in terms of quality and is ahead on performance ability

As with all EVs, the Eletre gets eight years’ worth of cover for the batteries.

I used to own a Lotus, so the brand’s mantra around lightness making cars feel fast and nimble feels a little at odds with the Eletre. But I understand the current market trends and, for me, this is a seriously impressive indication of Lotus’s future – a direction it has to take to survive. It’s a top job.